Awesome Super-Strat Tones from a Genuine Fender

Many guitarists like to modify and customize their Fender Strats with newer and higher-end improvements, but the American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS electric guitar has the upgrades built in from the start. The American Deluxe series is Fender's high-end line of guitars, featuring some of their most iconic models with a variety of top-of-the-line options for serious and professional guitarists: advanced pickups and electronics, polished chrome or gold-plated hardware, and exemplary American construction. The American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS is no exception. This maple-fretboard version delivers everything that makes Fender guitars great, plus a little bit more "under the hood," like the groundbreaking S-1 switch -- a button to switch pickups instantly located within the crown of the volume knob.

Noiseless N3 Pickups: The Revolutionary Single-coil

In their never-ending quest to create a single-coil pickup that produced no noise, magnetic hum, or microphonics -- but that still produced those famous Stratocaster "bell" tones -- Fender teamed up with legendary pickup designer Bill Lawrence, who helped create the revolutionary samarium cobalt Noiseless pickups. These single-coil bad boys use samarium cobalt magnets to produce a softer magnetic field. When they found that no coil-winding machines were available that could ensure the level of quality they demanded from each pickup manufactured, Fender built their own coil winders, following Leo Fender's mantra since he first started designing instruments: if nothing on the market is good enough, build a better one yourself.

5-way Pickup Selector and S-1 Switch

The American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS -- also known as the "Fat Strat" -- comes fully loaded with two of the samarium cobalt N3 Noiseless single-coil pickups from the Fender mod shop (at the neck and middle) with a Fender DH-1 humbucking pickup at the bridge for some extra beef when you need it. The "HSS" in the name refers to the pickup configuration: Humbucker, Single-coil, Single-coil. With the 5-way pickup selector and Fender's cleverly hidden S-1 switch, you can quickly choose between any of the pickups, or any combination of the three, with a subtle flick of a switch or push of a button, putting an unparalleled diversity of tones at your fingertips.

Classic Strat Style

This American Deluxe Strat's lightweight alder body won't break your back even in a four-hour marathon gig, and your fingers will glide effortlessly across the bright-sounding maple fretboard. Dot abalone inlays look extra stylish, and help you navigate the fretboard too. The classic headstock is equipped with deluxe staggered locking tuners, letting you whammy-away on the deluxe 2-point synchronized tremolo bridge without going out of tune. Even viewed from the back of the cheap seats, this USA-made Stratocaster is a guitar that tells the world you're a force to be reckoned with. It's the guitar to pull from its case when you want the world to know you're a serious guitarist before they've even heard you play.

The Fender Stratocaster Story

Even after changing the world of music forever with the introduction of the Telecaster, Leo Fender was always asking musicians for feedback -- seeking new ways to improve and refine his instruments. While the Telecaster was popular enough to stay in production, many players had suggestions for how to make the electric guitar -- still a new form of instrument at the time -- more comfortable, easier to play, and even more versatile. Released in 1954, the Fender Stratocaster introduced several new features -- including a contoured body for more comfortable playing, a double cutaway to make the higher frets easier to reach, a third pickup between the bridge and the neck to make even more tones available, and a tremolo bar to make notes easier than ever to bend. The large, 8-screw pickguard allowed almost all of the Stratocaster's electronic components to be mounted on one metal plate, making them especially easy to service.

The versatility and playability of the "Strat," combined with its sparkling sound, made it one of the most iconic guitars -- maybe the most iconic guitar -- in the history of music. Dick Dale used it to pioneer the surf sound. Buddy Holly took advantage of the versatility when he recorded "Peggy Sue" using one pickup setting for the rhythm, then switching to another for the solo. Bob Dylan was playing one the night he shocked the world by "going electric" at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton used them to take guitar artistry to heights no one had imagined before, and, more recently, John Mayer has used Strats in a huge variety of styles. The list could go on forever. Jeff Beck said that with other guitars "[I] just wind up sounding like someone else. With the Strat, I finally sound like me."

If you have additional warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer at 800-488-1818

Product Description

Fender's American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS is for guitarists who want a little more from their instruments. A compound radius fretboard allows simple string bending anywhere on the neck, and two N3 Noiseless(tm) pickups provide improved Stratocaster tones while the DH-1 humbucking bridge pickup has more output for fatter lead tones all with no hum. Reconfigured S-1(tm) switching offers other distinctive tonal options. The switch instantly sends your signal from any pickup position to the bridge position with the tone circuit bypassed, giving you clearer overtones and a little more volume. Other features include staggered locking tuners, LSR roller nut, two-point synchronized American Deluxe tremolo bridge with pop-in arm, and beveled neck heel. The compound radius fretboard on this version of the Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster HSS is built from Maple for slightly brighter sound and faster action.

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"Fender Craftsmanship at its finest"

Sound:
Sound quality is awesome. The noisless pickups are completely noiseless even with the gain turned way up. It's so nice to no longer hear tons of hum. The S1 switching allows for tons of different tones out of this guitar. I love this guitar for many styles - blues, heavy distored rock, this thing even does metal pretty damn good. It's got a great sparkly clean tone too. Bottom line: The tones you get out if this guitar are top-notch.
Feature:
The features of this guitar is the reason why I purchased it over the Regular (non delxue) Fender HSS. For about $550 more dollars you get locking tuners, lsr roller nut, pop in tremolo arm, N3 noisless pickups, the Atomic humbucker instead of the Diamondback, and S1 switching system. (Buy those things separately, we're talking much more than $550, especially considering installation costs) Oh, and not to mention the beautiful finishes.(I got the olympic pearl maple fretboard). The roller nut and locking tuners are great, you can whammy the hell out of this guitar it stays in tune.
Ease of Use:
I will always say that Fender Guitars are the easiest and most comforatble guitars to play. Bending strings is very easy and holding nice bend vibratos is much easier than other guitars I've played. The only learning curve with this guitar is all the different combinations you can get using the S1 switching system. If you want more simplicity just don't click the S1 button and you never need to use it.
Quality:
Fender craftmanship is top notch. The finish is amazing. The maple fretboard is fast and sleek.
Value:
If you're looking for a higher end guitar on the price scale, you should seriously consider this guitar. I say the value is a 10 because I know this guitar will last a lifetime.
Manufacturer Support:
I have not had to deal with Fender.
The Wow Factor:
Fender Olympic Peal w/ Maple Fretboard - Enough Said
I would like to say I bought this guitar from Zzounds using the pay as you play (Which is the best thing in the world). I ordered it on a Friday and it was at my house by Monday. Great service Zzounds!
Overall:
I expect to be satisfied with this guitar for the rest of my life. It's my favore it new toy.

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"My New Favorite"

Overall:
I have 16 guitars counting this one. Carvin, Fender, Les Paul, Godin (Multiac) and Cordoba. The Fender American Deluxe HSS bests them all. With the N3's i can finally set to 10 and still get a CLEAN sound. I have tried to dirty it up by standing directly in front of an electric fan, which produces noise with all of my other electrics. With this baby I hear no interference. In my 38 years since picking up the guitar, I have not owned or heard it's equal.

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